Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

In yoga, we often hear Yoga Sutra 2:46 Sthira Sukham Asanam which translates to the posture should be a balance between effort and ease. And with how yoga has progressed in the West, there’s been a definite emphasis on the effort, a reward for how physically demanding a practice is and a shift away from the importance of the ease or comfort in the asana. If you feel like you’ve lost that balance and want to shift toward a softer yoga class, focus on gentle yoga. What do we mean by gentle yoga? Plenty of variety exists but in general, gentle yoga classes move at a slower pace, encourage using props and modifications, and emphasize “trying easy” instead of pushing yourself to your edge in each moment.

Most people understand the importance of taking care of their health and well-being. But, some common misconceptions maintaining good health requires drastic changes. That’s not always the case. In fact, it’s often the small, simple habits that can significantly impact your overall well-being. By incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine, you can not only improve your physical health but your mental wellness, too. So, if you’ve let the idea that being healthy requires major changes keep you from taking charge of your well-being for too long, start taking small steps today with these simple daily habits.

Now, we’re not saying you aren’t perfect just as you are but it’s easy to become a little too comfortable with our routine sometimes. And when we realize we’re no longer challenging ourselves, it’s a wakeup call. If we aren’t growing and expanding, we become stagnant. Yoga can empower you to tap into your inner fire, so you continue to grow and move forward in your life. Yoga reminds us that everything is temporary. The only constant is change and tuning into this universal truth reminds us to continue to renew our minds, hearts, and bodies. Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation all help balance our nervous system. Then, we can better manage our thoughts and emotions, not to mention feel physically better.

In today's fast-paced world, finding ways to rejuvenate and replenish your energy is crucial. Yoga has evolved to become a powerful tool for revitalization, offering numerous benefits that extend far beyond physical fitness. Whether you're new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, incorporating yoga into your routine can rejuvenate your entire system, helping you feel more energized, balanced, and focused.

Sometimes life feels heavy, right? Between all the responsibilities with finances, family, and friends, it’s tough to stay balanced inside and out. Add in “tech neck” from hours on the computer and phone and it’s no wonder we can feel like an albatross is perched on our shoulders. Pain and tightness in the neck and shoulders is a complaint for many of us. Yoga can help you find some freedom and relief. One of the major physical causes of neck and shoulder tension comes from improper alignment and poor posture. As a result of slouching or sitting too much, our shoulders round forward and our necks stick out, like a turtle poking its head out of its shell. This type of misalignment can cause muscular pain and tension, headaches, distracted thoughts, and shallow breathing. Yoga focusing on creating mobility in the shoulders and stretching the neck will keep your muscles strong and supple and prevent injury.

Are you ready to tap into the fountain of youth and feel more vibrant and energetic, no matter your chronological age? When you focus on practices designed to strengthen your center, you’re not just creating toned abdominals and back muscles, you’re boosting your overall health and wellness. Every movement you make, from yoga to sports to walking, involves your core. This week, the spotlight is on how creating a powerful center helps tone your muscles, keeps your spine healthy, encourages healthy digestion and elimination, and balances your navel or Manipura Chakra.

Are you ready for today to be the day your dreams come true? What if you shifted your mindset and each morning when you opened your eyes, you decided today would be your best day, regardless of external events? Yoga reminds us that we cannot control anything except our reactions to what’s occurring around us. According to the Yoga Sutras eight-limbed yoga path, we can achieve happiness and peace by turning inward. All we need is within us. If we cultivate gratitude and a sense of Santosha, or contentment, we are one step closer to making each day our best day. Yoga Sutra 2:33, Pratipaksha Bhavana, states, “When negative thoughts present themselves cultivate and think the opposite thoughts with feeling.” This philosophy encourages us to repetitively practice replacing negative thought patterns with positive ones until the positive attitude becomes the default.

In the US, over 20% of adults lead physically inactive lifestyles. This inactivity can contribute to many limiting ailments and conditions. There are numerous reasons why adults across the country aren’t as physically engaged as they should be, and many adults simply don’t know how to begin their journey to better physical health. As you age, you may be looking for a miracle product or item that will help restore a sense of mental and physical vitality. However, low-impact exercise mitigates the effects of aging and may just be the magic potion you've been trying to conjure. Yoga is a fantastic practice for maintaining your health, offering significant benefits for adults who are looking for a way to enhance their overall fitness. Let’s review the primary benefits of yoga and how to incorporate this exercise into your daily life.

Yoga Sutra 2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam means each asana or physical posture should be a balance of steadiness and ease. Steadiness is a combination of strength and grounded energy. If your muscles quiver and strain when you’re trying to hold an asana, you’ll struggle to achieve a sense of calm. While flexibility and mobility are key elements of a well-rounded yoga class, without stability it’s impossible to truly find your yoga groove. We all can benefit from some yoga classes specifically designed to build internal and external stability so this week, we bring you four classes to help you feel grounded and powerful. You’ll embody strength and softness with each breath and movement. Classes focused on strength aren’t just about your muscles but creating a healthy spine and strong bones and joints. You’ll not only be able to hold postures longer while controlling your breath, but you’ll also release mental and emotional stress.

Are you ready to feel your best from head to toe not just on the outside but also on the inside? Physically, a consistent yoga practice will improve your posture, prevent injury, alleviate pain, and benefit your nervous and digestive systems. Opening the body creates corresponding openings in the heart and emotions, as well as helping develop a clear, calm mind. This week’s classes offer synergistic effects of a well-rounded yoga practice for your entire being. When you step onto the mat, an integral element of the practice is learning to stay present through the challenging and the simpler parts of class. When you utilize the breath to filter out distractions and shift your awareness inward, you can tune into what you’re feeling and release what no longer serves you.

It’s easy to envision your ideal life, but much harder to figure out the daily steps it will take to get there. While your optimal existence seems like an end goal, it can be transformed into the entire journey. Empowering yourself to make lifestyle changes can give you the health and wellness boosts you’re looking for, permeating into all aspects of your life. Learn how to holistically change your life by focusing on bettering your lifestyle in key ways.

Okay yogis, it’s time to mix it up on the mat. We all have our favorite teachers, preferred classes and routines. And if returning to your favorites keeps you practicing consistently, that’s fantastic! But sometimes, you’ve got to shake things up to continue growing. This week, try a faster paced Vinyasa Flow class. Read on for just a handful of the benefits to this style of yoga. Vinyasa Flow yoga is a flowing, varied sequence of postures linked with your breath to create a moving meditation. These classes are all unique, colored by the teacher’s creativity and energy. Of course, classes vary but the faster paced practices feel like a powerful dance with your breath. Whether the class emphasizes a vigorous pace or an emphasis on muscular strength, you’ll feel invigorated.

Whether you’ve never tried yoga before or practiced sporadically and never found your groove, it’s never too late to try again. Maybe the timing wasn’t right before, or you couldn’t find a yoga teacher that you connected with––the reasons why you’re trying yoga for the first time or returning to the mat aren’t what’s important. What matters is your attitude. If you can step into a beginner’s mindset and be open to step outside your comfort zone, you can discover the myriad of benefits yoga offers. A well-balanced yoga practice will help you become stronger, more flexible, more centered, and happier. What’s key is finding a style you love and a set of instructors who encourage you to be patient with yourself. One of yoga’s primary teachings deals with learning to release attachment to outcome. To let go of pre-conceived notions of what you believe yoga should be.

What’s your go-to warm up before you start your favorite workout? And do you cool down and stretch after you hike, bike, run, or do a HIIT class? To enhance your performance and to prevent injury, it’s important to warm up properly as well as allow your system to return to normal after exercise. If you’ve never tried yoga before or after your favorite sports and activities, this week we’ve made it easy for you. Many cardio activities, like cycling and running, consist of repetitive movements in one direction and in one plane of motion. Sports like golf and tennis are focused on using one side of the body, which over time develops certain muscle groups to the detriment of others. Over time, this creates imbalances in the muscles and joints leading to overuse injuries. Yoga is dynamic and moves your muscles and joints through a full range of motion. A well-rounded yoga warm up is a great way to stay balanced and aligned.

Yoga is an incredible way to renew our mind, body, and spirit each time we step onto our mats. We’ve heard over and over from our students that one of the best benefits of regular practice is the feeling of softening or a sense of being more content. And physically, if we aren’t keeping our bodies moving, we literally become stiff and inflexible. We’ve just celebrated the Vernal Equinox, which is a perfect time to celebrate the changes in the seasons. When we align ourselves with the cycles of the earth, we harness the strength of nature to become our most balanced, strong selves. Depending on where you live, you’re either eagerly awaiting the flowers blooming or watching the leaves fall. It’s a great time to shed what no longer is serving you and create space to invite in the fresh and new.

As we age, our bodies undergo various physical, mental, and emotional changes. These transformations can be challenging to accept for many individuals, leading to feelings of frustration, disappointment, and even depression. However, we can better navigate advancing years by embracing change and finding ways to adapt and adjust. One practice that’s been popular practice for decades due to its ability to encourage physical and spiritual health is yoga. Unlike other high-impact exercises, that may take a toll on your body, yoga is a low-intensity workout incorporating controlled breathing with stretches and meditation. Through regular practice, individuals can build strength, improve balance and flexibility, and reduce joint pain. However, it can be intimidating to new practitioners, especially those who are older and those with mobility or health issues. Fortunately, yoga can be for everyone, and there are special classes tailored to the needs of aging people.

Does anyone else have trouble falling asleep at night? You snuggle under the covers, lay your weary head on the pillow ready to drift off to dreamland and boom––your mind is racing. If you can relate, you’re not alone. Many of us are stuck in the “fight or flight” syndrome and our nervous systems have trouble switching into “rest and digest” mode. Quality sleep is essential for us to rejuvenate and maintain our physical, emotional, and mental health. If you’re ready to have your best night of sleep tonight, read on for a few of the ways yoga and meditation can help.

When we are going with the flow, we are aligned with ourselves and with the world around us. But with the busy-ness and fast pace of life, it’s easy to slip into a state of distraction and lose sight of your center. Yoga is all about clearing out the mental clutter and finding freedom in your mind, heart, and body. A “flow state” is when you are immersed in an activity to the point you no longer reason you’re “doing” it, you’re simply in it. For some people, finding their flow is playing or listening to music, running, dancing, surfing, gardening, or whatever activity allows them to settle in an energized state of freedom. Yoga is an excellent path to finding your flow. When we focus on connecting the power of physical movement with the practice of breathing in certain ways, we can expand our prana or life force energy and get energized or relaxed, depending upon the technique.

oga is many different things to many different people but at its core, yoga is a tool to create a quiet mind and a serene heart. Yoga reminds us that we cannot control external events; we can only control our reaction to them. Our world is a hectic place these days and if you’ve felt helpless seeing all the suffering, you aren’t alone. The power of the individual can radiate out to the collective. So if we work to increase our own love and compassion and share it with those around us, and others do the same thing, we can create a more peaceful world. An excellent starting point is to balance our Anahata (Heart) Chakra. Love lives in our hearts and Anahata is associated with selflessness and with enlarging our capacity for compassion. Love and fear are two sides of a coin and when we’re stuck in fear, or when we cannot forgive others, we shut down. We aren’t as kind to others because we fear being hurt and our energy impacts those around us.

Yoga’s gifts are numerous but one of the best is the ability to move from the reactive state called fight or flight where we’re operating with high stress levels and taxing our nervous systems. Through asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathwork), and meditation, it’s possible to move into rest and digest mode, which is a receptive state. If stabilizing your blood pressure, balancing your heart rate, and lowering stress hormones sounds like what you need, read on. Depending on what style of yoga you practice, you can energize or relax. To become more calm, poses like forward bends, twists, and restorative postures will help you quiet your mind and pacify your nervous system. By slowing down on the mat, you’ll create the space to feel more clear and relaxed. This week, we’ve hand-picked classes to help you chill out, naturally.

You’ve heard the expression “waking up on the wrong side of the bed,” right? Well, some days when your alarm goes off, you and want to burrow beneath the covers instead of getting up and facing the day. Our emotions and moods are always changing. And depending on what’s going on in your life, you may be facing serious challenges at work or in your relationships. We can’t control a lot of what’s happening around us, but we can take steps to control our reaction to them. Yoga and meditation are powerful tools to help us create tangible space in our reaction time to external events. No matter what’s happening in your day to day, practicing yoga in the morning sets you up for a positive experience.

As you know, a meaningful yoga lifestyle is about far more than poses and attending classes. At its best, any yoga practice is part of a holistically positive and aligned way of living. One essential component of this is making dietary choices that best support your practice. Nutritional philosophy has historically been a central part of yoga. Nevertheless, it’s worth looking a little closer at how you can leverage traditions and modern nutritional knowledge to fuel your body in a way that’s right for you. The first step to aligning your plate with your yoga practice is getting a better understanding of nutrition. Let’s start with the definition. At its core, nutrition is the way your body uses food and other elements to nourish itself. It’s a process that supports the various basic needs of your holistic wellness. This is why balance is so often considered vital in nutrition. Different food groups — fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins, among others — give your body specific fuels. When these are unbalanced or the body is missing something, it can impact performance and your experience.

Ready to align with the moon? February 10th marked the Lunar New Year, which celebrates the New Year based on the lunar calendar. This week, we’ve got four classes designed to attune your physical and subtle body to the energetics of the moon. Light can’t exist without darkness and vice-versa. Hatha is the physical practice of yoga and “Ha” means sun and “tha” means moon. The sun provides us with light and life, but the moon wields significant power on the Earth and on us. On a grand scale, the moon controls the ocean tides with its gravitational pull. About 71% of the earth is covered by water of which the oceans are 95%. So, as the moon waxes and wanes, it influences everything from fishermen’s livelihood to tsunamis to daredevils surfing fifty-foot waves off the coast of Nazaré. Of course we all feel the moon’s impact on our moods and emotions so aligning with the moon’s energy can be really impactful.

A strong core and a healthy spine go hand in hand. Visualize the muscles of your core, which include your abdominals, back, and glutes, as a natural girdle supporting your spine. Keeping these muscles strong and supple will protect your spine, improve your posture, maintain and improve alignment, and help you avoid lower back pain. Whether you’re taking a yoga class specifically designed to focus on core/spine health or a core/Pilates class, you’ll garner these benefits. Back pain is often the result of weak abdominals, tight hip flexors, and inflexible hamstrings. It’s vital to ensure all three of these elements are addressed to keep your core and spine in optimal health.

B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the yoga teachers credited with bringing yoga to the West taught that pranayama was more advanced than asana. In his classes, he instructed his students to master the physical postures prior to attempting pranayama techniques. Pranayama allows you to sink into deeper meditation. A well-rounded yoga practice includes asana, pranayama, and meditation. What is Pranayama? Pranayama is the practice of extending and regulating your prana or life force. Simply by focusing on mindful breathing, we can learn to change the way we feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Simply by utilizing different techniques, you can calm your nervous system, boost your energy, quiet your mind, and soothe your emotions. Pranayama gives you the ability to manage your prana.